Res 0088-2018

By Council Members Reynoso and Brannan Whereas, The subway system is the backbone of New York City's transit network, serving as an essential mode of transportation that millions of New Yorkers rely on every day; and Whereas, During a period of declining ridership and revenue and increased crime in the 1970s and 1980s, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA") closed many subway station entrances in an effort to save money and increase safety by concentrating riders in smaller areas; and Whereas, Today, 119 station entrances throughout the city remain closed despite record ridership levels and dramatically reduced crime; and Whereas, In 2014, annual subway ridership was higher than it had been in more than 65 years, while major felonies in the system were down to an average of about 7 per day compared to 48 per day in 1990; and Whereas, Now, at a time when high ridership is creating severe crowding conditions at many places in the system, re-opening closed subway station entrances could help relieve congestion and bottlenecks at heavily-used entrances; and Whereas, Local businesses located near re-opened entrances would likely benefit from an increase in pedestrian activity and many riders would have access to more conveniently-located station entrances; and Whereas, When entrances, stations, or entire lines need to be closed for construction, such as the upcoming repairs planned for the Canarsie Tube on the L line, re-opening closed entrances at other stations to which riders might be diverted could alleviate potential overcrowding; and Whereas, With so many station entrances currently closed that could potentially be re-opened, the MTA should conduct a comprehensive study of the issue with the goal of re-opening as many entrances as is feasible, while prioritizing those locations that would have the greatest potential positive impact on riders and the surrounding areas; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to institute a process for opening closed subway station entrances. LS# 2980 1/9/2018 JM